US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

34 U.S.C. § 12341

Rural domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and child abuse enforcement assistance

(a)

Purposes

The purposes of this section are—
(1)
to identify, assess, and appropriately respond to child, youth, and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities, by encouraging collaboration among—
(A)
domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking victim service providers;
(B)
law enforcement agencies;
(C)
prosecutors;
(D)
courts;
(E)
other criminal justice service providers;
(F)
human and community service providers;
(G)
educational institutions; and
(H)
health care providers, including sexual assault forensic examiners;
(2)
to establish and expand nonprofit, nongovernmental, State, tribal, territorial, and local government victim services in rural communities to child, youth, and adult victims;
(3)
to increase the safety and well-being of women and children in rural communities, by—
(A)
dealing directly and immediately with domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking occurring in rural communities; and
(B)
creating and implementing strategies to increase awareness and prevent domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking; and
(4)
to develop, expand, implement, and improve the quality of sexual assault forensic medical examination or sexual assault nurse examiner programs.
(b)

Grants authorized

The Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (referred to in this section as the “Director”), may award grants to States, Indian tribes, local governments, and nonprofit, public or private entities, including tribal nonprofit organizations, to carry out programs serving rural areas or rural communities that address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by—
(1)
implementing, expanding, and establishing cooperative efforts and projects among law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim service providers, and other related parties to investigate and prosecute incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including developing multidisciplinary teams focusing on high risk cases with the goal of preventing domestic and dating violence homicides;
(2)
providing treatment, counseling, advocacy, legal assistance, and other long-term and short-term victim and population specific services to adult and minor victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities, including assistance in immigration matters;
(3)
working in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies directed toward such issues; and
(4)
developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs addressing sexual assault, including sexual assault forensic examiner programs, Sexual Assault Response Teams, law enforcement training, and programs addressing rape kit backlogs;
(5)
developing programs and strategies that focus on the specific needs of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who reside in remote rural and geographically isolated areas, including addressing the challenges posed by the lack of access to quality forensic sexual assault examinations by trained health care providers, shelters, and victims services, and limited law enforcement resources and training, and providing training and resources to Community Health Aides involved in the delivery of Indian Health Service programs.
(c)

Use of funds

Funds appropriated pursuant to this section shall be used only for specific programs and activities expressly described in subsection (a).

(d)

Allotments and priorities

(1)

Allotment for Indian tribes

(A)

In general

section 10452 of this titleNot less than 10 percent of the total amount available under this section for each fiscal year shall be available for grants under the program authorized by .

(B)

1
1 So in original. Probably should be “section”.
Applicability of part 

The requirements of this section shall not apply to funds allocated for the program described in subparagraph (A).

(2)

Allotment for sexual assault

(A)

In general

Not less than 25 percent of the total amount appropriated in a fiscal year under this section shall fund services that meaningfully address sexual assault in rural communities, however at such time as the amounts appropriated reach the amount of $45,000,000, the percentage allocated shall rise to 30 percent of the total amount appropriated, at such time as the amounts appropriated reach the amount of $50,000,000, the percentage allocated shall rise to 35 percent of the total amount appropriated, and at such time as the amounts appropriated reach the amount of $55,000,000, the percentage allocated shall rise to 40 percent of the amounts appropriated.

(B)

Multiple purpose applications

Nothing in this section shall prohibit any applicant from applying for funding to address sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, or dating violence in the same application.

(3)

Allotment for technical assistance

Of the amounts appropriated for each fiscal year to carry out this section, not more than 8 percent may be used by the Director for technical assistance costs. Of the amounts appropriated in this subsection, no less than 25 percent of such amounts shall be available to a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization or organizations whose focus and expertise is in addressing sexual assault to provide technical assistance to sexual assault grantees.

(4)

Underserved populations

In awarding grants under this section, the Director shall give priority to the needs of underserved populations.

(5)

Allocation of funds for rural States

Not less than 75 percent of the total amount made available for each fiscal year to carry out this section shall be allocated to eligible entities located in rural States.

(e)

Authorization of appropriations

(1)

In general

There are authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027 to carry out this section.

(2)

Additional funding

42 U.S.C. 3796dd2

2 See References in Text note below.
In addition to funds received through a grant under subsection (b), a law enforcement agency may use funds received through a grant under part Q of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( et seq.)  to accomplish the objectives of this section.

Pub. L. 103–322, title IV, § 40295108 Stat. 1940Pub. L. 106–386, div. B, title I114 Stat. 1497Pub. L. 109–162, title II, § 203119 Stat. 2998Pub. L. 109–271, § 7(b)(1)120 Stat. 764Pub. L. 113–4, title II, § 202127 Stat. 81Pub. L. 117–103, div. W, title II, § 202136 Stat. 856(, , ; , §§ 1105, 1109(d), title V, § 1512(c), , , 1503, 1533; , title IX, § 906(d), , , 3081; , (2)(A), , ; , , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Pub. L. 90–35182 Stat. 197section 10101 of this titleThe Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, referred to in subsec. (e)(2), is , , . Part Q of title I of the Act was classified generally to subchapter XII–E (§ 3796dd et seq.) of chapter 46 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification as subchapter XVI (§ 10381 et seq.) of chapter 101 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1968 Act note set out under and Tables.

Codification

section 13971 of Title 42Section was formerly classified to , The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section. Some section numbers or references in amendment notes below reflect the classification of such sections or references prior to editorial reclassification.

Amendments

Pub. L. 117–103, § 202(1)2022—Subsec. (a)(4). , added par. (4).

Pub. L. 117–103, § 202(2)(A)Subsec. (b)(4). , substituted semicolon for period at end.

Pub. L. 117–103, § 202(2)(B)Subsec. (b)(5). , inserted “quality forensic sexual assault examinations by trained health care providers,” after “by the lack of access to” and substituted “shelters, and” for “shelters and”.

Pub. L. 117–103, § 202(3)Subsec. (e)(1). , substituted “$100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027” for “$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018”.

Pub. L. 113–4, § 202(1)2013—Subsec. (a)(1)(H). , inserted “, including sexual assault forensic examiners” before semicolon at end.

Pub. L. 113–4, § 202(2)(A)Subsec. (b)(1). , substituted “victim service providers” for “victim advocacy groups” and inserted “, including developing multidisciplinary teams focusing on high risk cases with the goal of preventing domestic and dating violence homicides” before semicolon at end.

Pub. L. 113–4, § 202(2)(B)(i)Subsec. (b)(2). , substituted “legal assistance, and other long-term and short-term victim and population specific services” for “and other long- and short-term assistance”.

Pub. L. 113–4, § 202(2)(B)(ii)Subsec. (b)(4), (5). , (C), (D), added pars. (4) and (5).

Pub. L. 113–4, § 202(3)Subsec. (e)(1). , substituted “$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018” for “$55,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2007 through 2011”.

Pub. L. 109–162, § 2032006—, amended section generally, substituting provisions relating to rural domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and child abuse enforcement assistance for provisions relating to rural domestic violence and child abuse enforcement assistance.

Pub. L. 109–162, § 906(d)section 3796gg–10 of this titlePub. L. 109–271, § 7(b)(2)(A)Subsec. (c)(3). , which directed the amendment of subsec. (c) by striking par. (3) and inserting a new par. (3) which read “Not less than 10 percent of the total amount available under this section for each fiscal year shall be available for grants under the program authorized in . The requirements of this paragraph shall not apply to funds allocated for such program.”, was repealed by .

Pub. L. 109–271, § 7(b)(1)Subsec. (d)(1). , added par. (1) and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: “Not less than 10 percent of the total amount made available for each fiscal year to carry out this section shall be allocated for grants to Indian tribes or tribal organizations.”

Pub. L. 106–386, § 1109(d)(1)section 3796gg–2 of this title2000—Subsec. (a)(1). , inserted “and dating violence (as defined in )” after “domestic violence”.

Pub. L. 106–386, § 1512(c)section 3796gg–2 of this titleSubsec. (a)(2). , amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: “to provide treatment and counseling to victims of domestic violence and dating violence (as defined in ) and child abuse; and”.

Pub. L. 106–386, § 1109(d)(2)section 3796gg–2 of this title, inserted “and dating violence (as defined in )” after “domestic violence”.

Pub. L. 106–386, § 1105(1)Subsec. (c)(1). , added par. (1) and struck out heading and text of former par. (1). Text read as follows: “There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section—

“(A) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 1996;

“(B) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 1997; and

“(C) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 1998.”

Pub. L. 106–386, § 1105(2)Subsec. (c)(3). , added par. (3).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2022 Amendment

Pub. L. 117–103section 4(a) of div. W of Pub. L. 117–103section 6851 of Title 15Amendment by not effective until Oct. 1 of the first fiscal year beginning after , see , set out as an Effective Date note under , Commerce and Trade.

Effective Date of 2013 Amendment

Pub. L. 113–4section 4 of Pub. L. 113–4section 2261 of Title 18Amendment by not effective until the beginning of the fiscal year following , see , set out as a note under , Crimes and Criminal Procedure.

Effective Date of 2006 Amendment

Pub. L. 109–162section 4 of Pub. L. 109–162section 10261 of this titleAmendment by not effective until the beginning of fiscal year 2007, see , set out as a note under .